display in nearly 800 communities. PHOTO/VVMF.ORG
The traveling Vietnam memorial known as The Wall That Heals will be on display in Star Valley this summer, arriving for a four-day visit from July 9–12 at the Star Valley Middle School football field.
“The Wall That Heals is actually a traveling three-quarter-size replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.,” said Gene Bates, ceremonies chairman for the Afton committee. “Every year, they travel to various communities, and we’re lucky here in Wyoming that we’re one of the 30 spots nationwide that they will hit this year.”
Bates, a Vietnam veteran, said the exhibit has not visited Wyoming since 2008 and called the return “incredibly special and meaningful.” “It’ll honor those names that are etched on that wall and support members of our community as they reflect, remember, and heal,” he said.
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Tracey Martiny, volunteer coordinator, emphasized the scope of the event and the need for community help. “We’re looking at anywhere from 250 to 400 volunteers,” Martiny said. “Each volunteer makes the heart of The Wall. Their time, compassion, and education at the exhibits will provide a welcoming and educational experience.”
Volunteer roles range from able-bodied crew to set up and tear down the panels to stationary positions in the Visitor and Education Centers. “There are a couple of select roles that if you have limited mobility, the Visitor Center would be a great place for you,” Martiny said. “We have wall ambassadors that’ll help with wall rubbings and etchings at the wall and communicating with visitors there. We have Education Center volunteers that will help guide visitors around the artifacts… and Visitor and Welcome Center, we need people helping out with parking and logistics, ceremonial support.”
Most volunteer shifts will be four hours long, Martiny said, though some two-hour slots are available. “It is a 24-hour exhibit, so we need bodies all through the day and the night,” she added.
The replica is large and impressive, Bates said, estimating its scale for listeners unfamiliar with the D.C. memorial. “It’s 370-feet long exhibits with like seven and a half, eight-foot high height, and the heaviest panel that will be erected is 85 pounds. It’s pretty impressive and moving.”
The Wall will be escorted into the valley by motorcycle and vehicle groups, with organizers hoping for a large rolling escort. “They’re looking to have at least 200 to 400 bikers that will escort that in, so that’ll be a pretty impressive rolling thunder as it comes through the valley,” Bates said.
Organizers plan four ceremonies while the exhibit is in Afton. “Essentially, while The Wall is here, there’ll be four ceremonies, a welcome ceremony, and there’ll be a special memorial ceremony on Friday night at dusk. It’s called Light the Night, so it’s basically a candlelight service,” Bates said. The Wall will arrive the day before the public opening; the opening ceremony is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Thursday. Bates noted the Wall will be closed one hour before and one hour after ceremonies.
Bates also announced a prominent guest speaker. “Our guest speaker will be Governor Gordon,” he said, and added the committee will need ushers to help seat what they hope will be “an amazing turnout.”
Families who wish to have a Vietnam-era service member remembered during VVMF’s In Memory program were urged to apply by the June 9 deadline. “The Vietnam Memorial Fund has a program, it’s called In Memory, and there’s an online application where you can apply and have your service member remembered in an annual ceremony that they do at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.,” Bates explained. “The address for that is www.vvmf.org/In-Memory-Program essentially, you just need a copy of DD-214 and a death certificate, and if you get that all taken care of by the 9th of June, then as part of our display, those names will be included here.”
To sign up as a volunteer or learn more, you can visit the event website at thewallthathealsaftonwy2026.
“We just welcome you guys to come visit, sponsor, and volunteer. It’ll be an amazing opportunity to teach our community about the Vietnam War and just honor our service members,” shared Martiny.
